Aids HIV FAQ

Shark cartilage shown worthless against cancer

Question:

What I find interesting is that scientists recently came up with a pharmaceutical drug that works in the same exact manner as shark cartilage was found to in other research studies. Interesting timing of this new study. I also suppose that you believe all of the other research conducted showing positive results with shark cartilage is bogus, and this one study is the truth.

Response:

>On the CNN web site, they announced that the Cancer Treatment Research >Foundation did a careful study of shark cartilage’s effect on cancer and >found that it neither slowed the progression of cancer nor shrank >tumors.  And as you might expect, proponents of shark cartilege simply >dismissed the study.  Andrew Lane (who markets the stuff and whose >father wrote the book "Sharks Don’t Get Cancer") criticized the study >for using "an inferior brand of shark cartilage"!  Presumably the >results would have been different if the study had used Lane’s own >brand?!?! >I often hear proponents of alternative remedies say that mainstream >medicine ignores alternative remedies and won’t study them.  Let’s see >if they accept the results of this study now that it has been done.

I know someone who refused surgery and was succesfully treated with shark cartilage (in combination with other alternative therapies) for prostrate cancer.  He decided he would rather die than have the recommended surgery.  Luckily he had a choice to make, a choice which you apparently would like to take away. The real question is do you trust your own personal experience, or do you trust experts on TV.  I haven’t turned on my TV in years… …mcbob

Response:

> What I find interesting is that scientists recently came up with a > pharmaceutical drug that works in the same exact manner as shark cartilage was > found to in other research studies. Interesting timing of this new study.

In what way does this statement relate to the content of the original post? > I also suppose that you believe all of the other research conducted showing > positive results with shark cartilage is bogus, and this one study is the > truth.

I think the study presents findings that will need to be verified, and if verifiable, such findings will need to be accounted for by proponents of shark cartilage as a valid therapy versus cancer, even if that means such proponents have to submit to doing objective research, which I hear is a real pain and which requires skill, experience and knowledge.

Response:

> What I find interesting is that scientists recently came up with a > pharmaceutical drug that works in the same exact manner as shark cartilage >was > found to in other research studies. Interesting timing of this new study. >In what way does this statement relate to the content of the original >post?

I just find it interesting that the pharmaceutical companies always come up with new drugs that are basically the same as things used by people into natural therapies. yet they call the natural therapy quackery, but their new treatment is revolutionary. Another example is protease inhibitors which the AIDS community was using from plants before their "discovery" by the pharmaceutical industry. Also podophyllumtoxin that was being used in the 1930s for the successful treatment of cancer which has now been "discovered" as a new cancer treatment by the pharmaceutical industry. I just feel the pharmaceutical industry can learn a lot from the alternative medical movement, such as how to cure people of their diseases instead of making them sicker as they cover up the symptoms.   >I think the study presents findings that will need to be verified, and >if verifiable, such findings will need to be accounted for by proponents >of shark cartilage as a valid therapy versus cancer, even if that means >such proponents have to submit to doing objective research, which I hear >is a real pain and which requires skill, experience and knowledge.

There has been loads of research done on what we term alternative medicines in this country. The research gets ignored due to big egos and threats to even larger profits. If you want to see skill, experience and knowledge, then look with an open mind at alternative medicines. The pharmaceutical companies are definitely lacking these!

Response:

interesting but not unexpected – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> What I find interesting is that scientists recently came up with a > pharmaceutical drug that works in the same exact manner as shark cartilage was > found to in other research studies. Interesting timing of this new study. >In what way does this statement relate to the content of the original >post? > I also suppose that you believe all of the other research conducted showing > positive results with shark cartilage is bogus, and this one study is the > truth. >I think the study presents findings that will need to be verified, and >if verifiable, such findings will need to be accounted for by proponents >of shark cartilage as a valid therapy versus cancer, even if that means >such proponents have to submit to doing objective research, which I hear >is a real pain and which requires skill, experience and knowledge.

Response:

>Yes, prostrate (sic) cancer is hard to treat.  The patient never >seems to be able to get out of bed.  

Actually I thought they were always getting out of bed in the middle of the night. >A good scary shark just might do the trick.

Silly sarcasm. >You understand, of course, that prostate cancer is slow-growing and in >most men who get it (which means most men who live past a certain age) >something else will kill them before the cancer does.  

A doctor, most likely. >You never did even claim your friend was "cured" by the snake – -er, >shark — oil treatment.  

Correct. >I suppose you imply that, however.  

Did you read something in my post that I didn’t put there? >Have you got any proof?  A simple set of before and after >biopsy reports which can be certified as his results, >forwarded to Steve Harris MD, who has a a standing offer >to evaluate all such claims in confidence, should do the >trick.

No, and I am not out to prove anything.  Myself, I don’t believe biopsy reports are proof.  If doctors really understood cancer, they would have cured it by now.  I have been misdiagnosed and mistreated so many times that I do not take a doctor’s word for anything.  Face it.  Most doctors are quacks, whether they deal with alternative or conventional medicine. I stated quite clearly, and I want to emphasize, that there were other therapies involved as well.  After a careful search he went to a doctor who specialized in alternative thereapies, and he changed quite a few things.  Last I saw he was in robust good health, but I don’t know if he even made it to five years or not.  This is not a repeatable experiment.  You cannot prove anything from it, but the patient was happy.  If you don’t think that is more important than the question of whether shark cartilege is snake oil, then I certainly wouldn’t want you for my doctor. What was obvious was that his health had improved, and he said the PSA (or whatever the blood test is that they do to monitor that) had dropped dramatically.  Was it shark cartilage (alone or perhaps in combination with something)?  I don’t know.  I won’t even attempt to decide unless, God forbid, I should have the same problem someday. What you are claiming is the a negative result on one study proves that "Shark Cartilage is worthless against cancer." It doesn’t.  Unfortunately studies can be extremely expensive, and they often raise more questions than they answer.  A negative result can mean that they just didn’t do something right, or that only certain people would benefit. >Betcha can’t prove it.   But then again, do you believe everything >you read on the internet?

I bet the things I don’t believe are different from the things you don’t believe… …mcbob

Response:

On the CNN web site, they announced that the Cancer Treatment Research Foundation did a careful study of shark cartilage’s effect on cancer and found that it neither slowed the progression of cancer nor shrank tumors.  And as you might expect, proponents of shark cartilege simply dismissed the study.  Andrew Lane (who markets the stuff and whose father wrote the book "Sharks Don’t Get Cancer") criticized the study for using "an inferior brand of shark cartilage"!  Presumably the results would have been different if the study had used Lane’s own brand?!?! I often hear proponents of alternative remedies say that mainstream medicine ignores alternative remedies and won’t study them.  Let’s see if they accept the results of this study now that it has been done. — Steven D. Litvintchouk The MITRE Corporation 202 Burlington Road                     Phone:  (781)271-7753

Response:

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